#and maybe reading ballad of songbirds and snakes after

[marsosims]

finally read the hunger games book because i've never read it but my whole fyp has been overrun with it and honestly love it i kinda just finished it in one sitting

[undertheredhood]

just because coriolanus snow was a floppy-haired pretty boy in his youth doesn’t mean he isn’t a completely disgusting piece of shit person and that he doesn’t deserve the electric chair because he definitely does deserve to suffer the death penalty

[supercool-here]

Ok I have not read tbosas so don't mind me, but I went and watched the movie and my dad and sis both think Snow did what he did out of ambition and a thirst for power, but I disagree. Before being a mentor he was just a boy (eighteen) who hated being poor and was determined to not be poor ever again, and he had done everything he has to in order to achieve that, but all he had to do was get good grades!!!! Then he has to be a mentor, and he undeniably wants to keep his tribute alive, and one thing after another comes his way and he's no longer the boy wanting to regain everything his family once had, he is a man that knows he can't have it all, he can only have power or have nothing, and he can only have power by being cold

[berzahoes]

manifestation, baby! | tom blyth

summary: fans find out tom’s girlfriend has an old youtube channel where she reviewed the ballad of songbirds and snakes (and she definitely manifested her life)

an: the way i thought about this idea and quickly wrote it down so i didn’t forget it. i used to have an app that made those fake tweets but i’m just tired to make fake profiles 😭 maybe i’ll change it later idk

for the purpose of this imagine, let’s pretend tbosas book was published between 2017-2019

liked by zeglerslove, 444_bri and 35,377 others

tomblythxsnow apparently tom’s girlfriend has an old youtube channel where she reviews books and she reviewed the ballad of songbirds and snakes and she literally manifested her future 😭

lucymygf WHATTT WHATS HER CHANNEL NAME

tomblythxsnow it’s yn’s book corner. she hasn’t posted since 2019 ngl i need her to review a little life because that book destroyed me

nat76_ omg i used to watch her videos!! i’m still subscribed to her 😭 i remember only buying and reading the books she liked because i wanted to be her so bad

j4ckaszlol “if someone ever makes a movie adaptation of this book and casts someone attractive to play snow then i am sorry for the person i become” REALLLLL

graybairdsmockingjay dude the part where she said “i’m calling it now whoever plays young snow will be my boyfriend. movie studios always cast someone attractive as the younger version of a character!” MY JAW DROPPED SHE NEEDS TO TELL ME HER WAYS

“guess what rachel just sent me.” you heard tom say when he arrived to your shared apartment.

“wedding invitations?!” you gasped as you almost stood up from the sofa since you were watching reruns of criminal minds, but tom stopped you.

“no, it’s better!” tom sat beside you and showed you his phone. “why didn’t you tell me you had a youtube channel?” on his phone screen was your review of the ballad of songbirds and snakes, which had become a very popular video over the past couple of days.

you hid your face with a pillow and groaned. “don’t remind me. i just wanted to talk about my books and my family didn’t care. don’t watch it! it’s embarrassing!”

“i think it’s cute. aw look, your dog made a cameo!” he pointed at your old dog you used to have that walked into the frame.

“indi! no, come sit right here. oh . . . and she’s walking away. okay, anyways.” your younger self said in the video

“indi? why Indi?” tom asked you even though you were still hiding from embarrassment.

“after indiana jones. my dad and i loved those movies and he gifted me indi as a birthday present.” you confessed.

“love, don’t be embarrassed. i think it’s cute that you manifested your life according to the comments on instagram,” tom paused the video then cuddled up to you. “i won’t watch it if you don’t want me to.”

“it’s fine, i just didn’t think anyone would find it. we can watch it together.” you uncovered yourself and sat down properly to watch the video with tom. before he pressed the play button and together you watch your younger self review the book.

“i’ve read all the hunger games books at least four times and this one did not disappoint. but i do hope whoever ends up being cast as young snow is someone hot. i’m sorry it’s the rules! and they will be my boyfriend, i’m calling dibs.”

tom smirked at you. “if only younger you could see you now.”

“she would definitely think ‘wow, how did we pull this beautiful man?’ then be confused as to why the hunger games and fnaf is trending in 2023.”

liked by tomblyth, rachelzegler and 1,377,389 others

ynlovesbooks told ya. love you tomblyth ❤️

rachelzegler she is THAT girl

ynlovesbooks no u

everdeenx12 bestie he’s EVIL

ynlovesbooks he’s a walking red flag but my favorite color is red 😍

chamaletproblems pls tell me how you did this

ynlovesbooks i figured out who they were casting and kept him hostage until he agreed to be my bf

tomblyth true

[allbark-no-bite]

Ignorance is Bliss || Coriolanus Snow x reader

summary: there’s something to love about the simplicity of boyhood. or in which there’s still good in Coriolanus and you love him

warnings: none really. this is just self-indulgent fluff. maybe slight mention of smut

word count: 1.3k

authors note: okay first of all ik everyone here spells it Coryo, but i much prefer Corio. the Hunger Games was the first ever fandom that i wrote for nearly 8 years ago (please don’t read my wattpad) and i’m so excited to have an up to date fic posted on here! the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes revived my love for the series and i hope you all enjoy :)

The sky shifts from a faint blue to yellow with the approaching evening light. In just a few minutes the swarms of awakening insects will be almost too much to bear. He swallows, and the combination of his dry mouth and the lack of humidity makes it feel as though his throat sticks together with the action. Being so deep in the forest, away from the rest of civilization, the air out here is so fresh that just breathing it is dizzying.

By now he's so used to the polluted air of District 12 that this sort of clarity is a startling but welcomed reprieve. In the Capitol, he'd grown up hearing stories of the miners in 12 who would eventually succumb to the horrific fate of suffocation, their lungs black from years of inhaling coal dust. Even after just a few months of being assigned as a peacekeeper to the district, the undersides of his fingernails had turned permanently black with the dust.

The games are far from his mind these days—at least most of the time they are. He has done his best to put those horrors in the past. He is no longer a Capitol student, fighting to prove that he belongs there in his hand me down shoes and shirts with buttons made of bathroom tile. Those days now seem like an entirely different lifetime.

His heart rate slows to the point that his chest hardly rises, and his only sign of consciousness is the occasional flicker of his eyes as he fights to keep from dozing off. He lies there watching the sky and counts the hours until the sun is swallowed by the horizon.

It's considerably quiet save for the breeze moving through the leaves of the trees overhead and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot of a forest animal. Five more minutes and he'll get up.

Movement at his side makes him grunt. It's not much, just a shifting of weight, but it still forces a puff of air out of him. Underneath the cream undershirt of his uniform is a mess of slowly healing, raw pink flesh. His body still hurts from weeks ago.

The district boy's spear had stabbed straight through  the muscle of his shoulder and was rapidly on the mend thanks to Dr. Gaul. The burns on his back were healing on their own accord, albeit slower than he would have liked. All things considering, his wounds had been relatively insignificant.

He had seen tributes sustain much worse things in the games before. He'd take a couple of burns over a severed head any day.

This time the weight lifts almost completely from crevice of his side and his attention shifts to the body beside him. You'd been curled up, asleep at his side the the better part of an hour.

"Where are you—" His question is cut off as your weight returns, this time into the pit of his stomach, curling up against the curve of his lean body. It half knocks the breath out of him. You have the tendency to do that to him.

With your cheek pressed into his gut, your hand reaches out for his own and he willingly complies, linking his slender fingers with your own. Perhaps you don't realize it but this is the same way he first touched you, hand in hand back in the zoo, and it will always mean more than anything to him. It is this thought that causes him to bring your wrist to his mouth and press his lips against it.

His mouth is warm against your skin, and even if you don't know exactly where the gesture of affection came from, you reciprocate it with the same tenderness.

"What are you thinking about?" You finally ask, breaking a long hour of comfortable silence.

You.

Rather than answering, Coriolanus hums in acknowledgment of your question. "Corio—" At the same time, he swings his leg over your hip, switching positions so that his body is hovering above your own.

"Hi."

You grin, fingers grabbing hold of the cool metal of his dog tags that hang down from his neck.

"Hi."

Looking pleased with himself, he dips his head down, capturing your lips with his own. You were his, and he was constantly refiguring that out.

The kiss is sweet, tamer than what you're used to from him. Not that he's ever been unpleasant, you adored Coriolanus and just about everything about him. But he was a man. A boy growing into a man and that came it, its own boyish tendencies. Regardless, rarely ever did you discourage his wandering hands.

You can't help but smile at the feel of his lean, brawny body pressed against yours. He'd been thin with hunger back at the Capitol. His time in District 12 training as a peacekeeper had done him well. Not only had he become sturdier with muscle, but somehow taller too. One of his legs is wedged between your own, and through his trousers you can feel him, half hard with interest.

Coriolanus pulls away from the kiss at the feel of your lips pulled into a smile. His brows furrow together in confusion, but your smile is infectious and soon enough his own frown is tilted upwards. "What? What are you smiling about?"

You attempt to subdue your grin at his inquiry, but it's to little avail, and that only drives his insistence. "(Y/n). What've I done?"

"Nothing," you laugh, a palm coming up to cup the side of his jaw so that your thumb can smooth over the sharp protrusion of his cheekbone. Normally the action would be enough to distract him, but he's persistent.

"(Y/n)."

“Really, it's nothing," you insist. "I just... I love you." That is what you settle on. I love you.

You love the naivety in which he is able to love. Pure and untainted by heartbreak. Too young to know much at all. Even too inexperienced to realize that there were more ways to satisfy his desire for you than just kissing. His body wanted you in the way that a man wanted a woman, and while he surely felt the effects of that attraction, his pure intentions had yet to stray.

Coriolanus' clear blue eyes narrow in slight skepticism but he doesn't press you any further. "I love you too," he says, lifting his hand to slip his fingers into your hair and massage at the base of your scalp. At the same time, his thumb presses up into your jaw, tilting your chin upwards so that he can kiss you again.

This time you indulge him further and kiss him back a bit more forcefully than before. Your hand finds the short crop of his blonde hair, and like a cat preening under the attention, his body reacts in tandem. He half snorts in amusement at your reciprocation but doesn't comment, too pleased to pull away long enough to taunt you.

Coriolanus takes it upon himself to deepen the kiss, the force of his lips upon yours not yet bruising but certainly heading there. His tongue slips past your lips, exploring the taste of your mouth. At the same time, one of his slender hands slides down your side, his fingers grasping at the curve of your hip.

The day will come that his desires get the best of him, and he’ll want more of you. Frivolous things such as the wrestling and the making out that the two of you do now won’t satisfy him later. And while the thought doesn’t bother you, it’s nice what you have with him now. It’s so simple and so easy to love him and his still boyish self now. The time will come eventually, and that’s okay. You’ve got a lifetime together after all.

[hungryhungrygames]

this is really just a ramble and im not going to provide a lot of evidence to back this theory up besides what i feel in my heart. 

but i feel like president snow manipulated the games so that no tributes from district 12 ever won the games.

because seriously, how is it possible that in the all the games between the 10th and 73rd, only hammich was able to win? katniss says that it is because people don’t work in mines until they are 18 so they don’t go into the games with knowledge of their trade like many of the other districts do (18 year olds can get reaped still), learn any survival skills (guess katniss was the only one in more then 60 years), or were small due to starvation (peeta, gale, and haymitch are all described as either tall or muscular). and even if all this were true, it explains why they dont win often, but it doesnt explain why they dont win EVER. even just from dumb luck they should have won at least a handful of times like the other poorer districts, unless something (or someone) was interfering

and after reading the ballad of songbirds and snakes, i believe this even more. I think that snow hates all of the districts, but after lucy gray he has a specific vendetta again district 12 and all of the people that reside within it. snow is a very driven and ambition person, and he almost lost everything because of a girl from district 12, and i think this absolutely drove him mad 

so once he started having more control over the games, he decided that district 12 should never get even the slight benefits that come from a tribute from your district winning the games. the people of 12 could stay poor, and starve, and send 2 kids off to die every year with no hope

also, this would make sense why president snow reacted so harshly to how haymitch won the games. killing his whole family doesn’t feel like the appropriate response to haymitch using parts of the arena not as intended (maybe one would have but all of them?). and we have seen at least one other tribute use the arena not as intended explicitly (the landmines being repurposed in the 74th), and it probably have happened other times too. i think that if the really had a problem with how haymitch used the force feild, they would have killed him immediately after discovering it, i mean he did kind of imply that the forcefield must mean something/be useful.

really though i think snow was just so angry that someone from district 12 won. he probably would have intervened, but felt he didnt need to since haymitch was literally holding his guts in, and would have died even if the other tribute wasnt able to kill him

i guess snow was technically right though in his fear of district 12, eventually a tribute from there did become his down fall

[mins-fins]

EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD.

synopsis: the one thing taerae would always go by is "it's better to kill than be killed". a selfish motif to hold, yes, but in a world like this, where being selfish is the only way to survive, love isn't an option, love shouldn't be an option, and taerae thought that was that, but he sure did love lying to himself, and it's just so disappointing how things turned out.

pairing: kim taerae x male!reader

genre: dystopian au, fluff, angst, heartbreak, strangers to companions to lovers, happy ending? hell no 👍

warnings: mentions of murder, mentions of suicide, mentions of weaponry, kinda hunger games ripoff, talks of death and the afterlife, mentions of injuries and descriptions of bruises, taerae is so gay it's funny, conflicting feelings

word count: 3.7k

notes: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES WAS SO GOOD HELLO??? it was so beautifully shot and the movie was so good and the actors all delivered none of them missed they said "were getting that paycheck" and they DID! but anyway, can i tell you how much i love dystopian books how did i not read the hunger games sooner like wtf 🙁 i debated for so long on who to write this for and originally i thought gunwook but then i thought of something i think would be smart to put in the story so taerae it is! i hope you enjoy 👍

anyway and all reblogs are appreciated, please for the love of god if you have feedback, even if it was the smallest of it, so tell me, i love reading reblogs and people's thoughts on my fics, please do not be a silent reader 🙁🙏 this layout was inspired by @taeiun (ily)

104 days before.

the first thing taerae did was suck in a breath.

being stuck in an arena, with hundreds of other people, some of them adults, some of them children, some of them barely able to say goodbye to their families, some of them that had nobody left, all here for one reason, all against their own will.

taerae has been through this once before, when he was fifteen years old. it was traumatizing, he barely made it out alive, let alone made it out a winner. the only things he'd ever heard about it was how you had to run, how you needed to make sure you didn't make any close allies, how you should've been careful with who you trusted.

taerae had to learn that the hard way.

and by the "hard way" that equals almost getting murdered by a grown adult for a piece of jewelry.

but that was six years ago, taerae's now an adult, and at least he's alive, it's better than having to succumb to such a ghastly fate, then slowly being forgotten by everyone else who would then come after him.

now he's back, with a newfound anger for the organizer of this "challenge".

so as he glances around, he sighs.

he glances at the paper in his hand, the one he had just crumpled. he brushes the small amount of hair out of his face, and reopens it, looking at the name that scribbled onto it.

the one thing taerae just happened to forget about these games.

he's stuck by someone's side.

he doesn't bother reading the name, just once again crumbling the paper and sticking it into his sweater pocket. he watches as other people begin scattering, trying to find out who their going to be paired with for these.. games. taerae just stands there, like an idiot, not wanting to move even a bit.

in short, he didn't want to have a partner, not just because of prior traumatic experiences, but because he didn't know how he'd fair during these years games. it was difficult to stomach the feeling of being in the games again, and his heart almost dropped when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

a small yelp just barely escapes his lips, and he jumps back, startled. all random touches have always made him uncomfortable, maybe it's just his unsaid paranoia, but he takes a deep breath, trying his best to calm his fast beating heart.

also because he'd just come in contact with one of the most beautiful men ever..

taerae clears his throat, looking up at his new companion (he doesn't enjoy the word that much, but for this guy, he might just suck it up). his new companion who is absolutely gorgeous, if taerae had to describe him, he'd say the word "enticing" is one of the best words he can use.

taerae has met pretty people, he's met several psychically attractive people, and there's a lot of encounters he's had with said kinds of people. he spends maybe two minutes before snapping out of it, feeling his face go red. "i— i'm sorry, was that rude? i apologize if that was rud—"

his new companion snickers, then full on laughs, shaking his head. "it's alright" he says softly, waving his hand dismissively. his voice is what taerae would think touching a cloud would feel like, it's just so soft, so comfortable to listen to.

taerae quickly pinches himself, he can't believe he's having such thoughts about someone he met like two seconds ago!

"um, kim taerae?"

taerae freezes, then nods. the beautiful stranger stretches out his hand for taerae to take, and he blinks for a moment like an idiot, quickly then taking his hand and shaking it. "l/n y/n, nice to meet you".

"nice to meet you too.."

taerae didn't know that taking that hand had practically sealed his fate.

that in 104 days, he'd be regretting everything he's ever done in his life..

89 days before.

one thing taerae has discovered about y/n is that he enjoys taking risks.

the whole point is that they're supposed to survive (at least one of them is), not try to kill themselves at every single chance.. which is exactly what y/n is trying to do. seriously, taerae never knew that people could ever enjoy jumping off cliffs, or just running into danger.

taerae didn't know having a companion meant having to bust out his ass every time he threatens the next person that tries him.

"seriously, do you enjoy being moments away from death?" he inquires, staring at the scab on y/n's hand, he immediately slaps y/n's hand away the moment he tries to pick at it. he earns a frown, and just rolls his eyes.

"don't do that, it's gross".

taerae's tone is stern, straight to the point, and y/n looks up at him when he stands up, walking off to go get something from his backpack. he narrows his eyes at him, and sighs as he sees the one thing he didn’t want to see.

not the bandages— rubbing alcohol.

"one of these days, the officials are gonna find you somewhere and think i killed you" taerae mindlessly comments, kneeling beside y/n and taking his hand, he considers putting up a fight, but taerae doesn't seem to be taking his shit that day, so he just lets taerae patch up his hand.

"i think that'd just certify you as a legend more than anything".

taerae laughs at the words, although y/n winces because he just happens to apply the alcohol at the same time. "your much of a comedian aren't you?" he inquires, lightly glancing up at y/n, but quickly glancing down as to avoid eye contact with him.

"i try".

taerae can't help the smile that crosses his face, but then his face drops at the realization that he's smiling about y/n. that's enough to make him begin questioning himself.

he shouldn't be smiling over a boy, he shouldn't even be thinking about smiling over a boy.

he was here to survive, not make friends, not fall in love.

but oh what a liar he was.

64 days before.

"what are you doing exactly?"

"it's a surprise".

taerae doesn't know if he can take another one of y/n's 'surprises', mostly because said boy enjoys chasing him around with spiders and, worst of all, snakes. he's smacked y/n so many times for scaring him that it's become much of an instinct in these few weeks.

"i don't know if i can trust any of your surprises anymore, l/n" taerae says, watching as y/n hums to himself. he has absolutely no idea what he's doing, considering his back is turned to him, as if he's trying to hide it from taerae. "what are you doing?"

the inquiry just barely makes it to y/n, who turns around, making sure his hands are hidden away from taerae. "i said, it was a surprise".

"i hope your not about to murder me".

"i would never" y/n smiles ominously, and taerae almost feels a bit.. fearful at the look he receives. he blinks away such thoughts, and simply sighs.

"y/n, seriously—"

taerae pauses, especially when y/n turns around and places something on his head. he goes silent for a moment, but then he sees y/n smile, and he blinks again. "what..?"

"it's a flower crown" he says simply, his hands dropping down to his sides. taerae opens his mouth to say something, but closes it again because he's just shocked at why y/n would do this.

it's just.. such a simple yet sweet act? and with the way y/n was staring at him, how could he not be falling in love with him? taerae's inner conscious is practically screaming at him right now, what happened to love isn't an option? he can't believe what he's thinking right now.

a look of shock quickly spreads over y/n's face and he turns around, clearing his throat. "yeah— uh, sorry" he mutters, and taerae simply smiles, feeling his heart soar in a way it never has before.

"no no it's.. pretty i like it" taerae slowly removes the crown, staring at the kinds of flowers that are littered around the crown. he runs his hands over the crown, and smiles once again, it was just something to cherish; something he would cherish for a long time.

"these are daisies right?"

y/n nods, taerae can tell he feels a little embarrassed, especially with the way he's picking at his nails. "yeah um, i know you like them".

taerae gasps, using this as an opportunity to tease the hell out of y/n. "aww you remembered!?"

"don't start.."

41 days before.

"do you sing?"

taerae looks up at y/n, his eyebrow raising at the inquiry. he tries so hard not to focus on the fact that his wet shirt is practically see through, in fact he tries so hard to ignore everything about y/n, worrying he's going to act impulsively and do stuff he can only think of.

"how'd you know?" no seriously, how did he? taerae mentioned playing the guitar as a one off thing maybe once.. he never mentioned singing before, and even then, the idea of singing being interesting to y/n just makes something go off in his mind..

"intuition" he simply replies, sitting himself down besides taerae. he stares at taerae for what seems like a while, and for some reason, taerae pauses just to stare at him too.

they keep having.. moments like this, where they just sit and stare at each other for unspecified amounts of time. taerae sometimes feels like he's fallen into a trap, that this is exactly what y/n wanted to happen, but those are just the excuses his brain makes to try and erase the feelings he's obviously growing for y/n.

he dislikes feeling like this—

but really, can he stop it?

"can you sing for me?"

"huh?"

taerae blinks, staring at y/n like he just asked an insane kind of question. he wants taerae to sing for him? he opens his mouth to speak, but then closes it, because he has no idea how to respond to that. the question shouldn't be so hard to answer, but for him, it is.

"you— you want me to sing?" he asks, taking in a deep breath. "for you?" he points at y/n, who just snickers, laying down onto the grassy field.

"i mean— you have a nice speaking voice, you must also have a nice singing voice too, right?"

taerae stares at y/n, thinking for a moment, then he turns to his guitar that's lying on the ground and picks it up. "do you have any songs in mind?"

"i was hoping that you would have songs in mind.." y/n immediately replies, and taerae gives him an 'are you serious' look.

"at this point i'm going to end up killing you" he says as a joke, positioning his guitar on his lap. the words make y/n laugh, because he's told that exact joke before, he finds it funny that taerae just repeated it to him.

"at least if i die, i'll die having heard your beautiful voice".

taerae scrunches his nose, lightly slapping y/n in the shoulder. y/n lightly squeaks, rolling ever just the slightest and dramatically clutches his stomach, as if taerae had just sentenced him to death.

"shut up before i change my mind" taerae spits out at him, knowing that was such a lie. he looks down at his hand, which is just caressing the strings of his guitar.

how does one even find themself in such a circumstance?

25 days before.

"where do you think we go when we die?"

the question catches taerae off guard. he notices the way y/n's eyes continue to go down, his eyelids are probably feeling heavy, taerae thinks. he's insanely tired, they both are. besides that, he rubs his eyes and patiently waits for taerae's answer.

"well.. i'm of the belief that there isn't really an afterlife" taerae answers. "i— i feel like, in my opinion, it's more comforting that i just get to die, and that's that, i don't know how i'd feel dying then just.. having to open my eyes again".

y/n's face stays unmoving for a moment, but then he smiles. "when i was younger, my mom told me that when i died, my soul would move on, while my body stayed on earth".

"she was never, you know, specific about it, she said some people go to good places and some people go to bad places after they die, but it all depends on they life they did lead, and the life they could've lead".

y/n doesn't look at taerae, instead resorting to picking at his skin, which taerae notices is a bad habit of his. he scoots closer towards y/n and pushes his hands apart, feeling displeased by the uncanny silence that now washes over them.

"your mom.. she sounds sweet" taerae mumbles, keeping his hands on top of y/n's. he doesn't really realize it, though, because it just feels so natural. y/n doesn't usually talk about things like this, he's the funny, comedic, kind of person, he doesn't talk about serious stuff, it's not his thing.

taerae assumes it's the sleep deprivation, the stress, the idea that he or taerae get could killed at any moment gives him extreme anxiety. yeah he tries to pass it off, but taerae can tell, his overprotective nature isn't outrightly obvious, but you can clearly see it in the bits and pieces of his personality that shine through.

he stops with just leaving his hand on top of y/n's, and begins holding y/n's hand in itself, intertwining their fingers, y/n also intertwines their fingers together, finding comfort in the way taerae decided to hold his hand.

"yeah she was, she.. died while a medic in war".

y/n plays with taerae's fingers, taerae thinks it's because he's afraid he'll cry that he doesn't look up, and he gets it, so he doesn't say more. y/n sighs, his voice barely above a whisper. "i don't—" he pauses for a moment. "i don't want to lose you taerae".

taerae's eyes widen, his mind begins racing, his heart begins beating faster, and he feels himself get warmer, despite the cold air that surrounds them. "you've become important to me, i feel like i need to protect you".

the words hit taerae like something he can't even describe, a heavy sigh escapes his lips as he thinks about, and he tightens his hold on y/n's hand. "it's a two way thing you know" taerae mutters. "don't worry, i won't let anything happen to you".

and for once, taerae wasn't listening to his head.

he was listening to his heart.

10 days before.

"the stars look pretty tonight".

y/n reaches over to grab taerae's hand, and tugs him closer, his eyes focused on the sky. taerae looks over at him, staring like he's the most beautiful person in the world, he's grateful that y/n can't just how much he's staring.

"can you identify the constellations?" he asks, and y/n finally looks back at him, closing his eyes as he lets out a laugh. "what? it's a totally normal question to ask when talking about stars!"

y/n shakes his head, then he looks back up at the sky, pointing. "that, is cassiopeia" he states, and taerae narrows his eyes, tilting his head to get a better look at the sky. "or in other words, the most boring constellation".

"cassiopeia? the most boring?" taerae snickers.

"yeah, scorpion is the most interesting one".

"um, no, it's definitely lyra".

"you wanna bet?"

"oh definitely! you'll lose!"

4 days before.

"are we gonna talk after this?"

the question makes y/n laugh. taerae notices that's how he responds to most questions, by laughing, maybe being by his side for about three months now has made him notice all these little things he barely saw when he first met y/n.

the idea of thinking about the future of.. well— them, scares him in a way.

staring at y/n is enough to instantly make him smile, he doesn't know when he decides to drop his whole act, when he decided to stop being so cold, why y/n is the one person that was able to remove him from the shell he once perfectly secured himself in.

to be honest though, he doesn't mind anymore.

"of course, why would we not?"

"i'm afraid you'd be certified too 'cool' for me once we return" taerae admits rather shyly, looking down at the floor despite the fact that he was laying down. y/n laughs once again, tucking taerae's hair behind his ear.

he pats his lap, and taerae lays his head down onto his lap, sighing. "i don't know, people perceive me in such a certain way that i'm scared you will too.." he says, feeling a little better as y/n runs his fingers through his hair.

"well, i know you a lot better than you think, taerae" y/n says, sounding sure of himself. taerae looks up at him, thinking for a moment, then smiling, then laughing.

"you sure do have a way with your words, y/n".

"thank you".

that was when taerae knew.

he was in love.

so in love.

the day of.

"i have a bad feeling about this".

taerae pauses, watching as y/n packs his stuff. "do you know how far astria is? what if you like.. have an accident on the way there?" taerae didn't mean to sound overly protective, really, he didn't, it just came naturally to him, especially when it came to y/n, and now that it was coming to this.

"it'll be fine, rae, you know i've been through worse".

"it's better to be safe than sorry, y/n".

y/n looks up at taerae, a snicker coming to his face accompanied by a smile. "i thought we talked about this yesterday, if you want me to stay, i can" he reminds taerae, the words pretty much echoing in his mind.

of course i want you to stay! but that would be so selfish of me! in these past three months you've never thought about yourself! it would be selfish of me to want you to stay when all you've done is for me..

"no, it's okay" taerae smiles. "it's alright, if it's for your own good, then you should go".

oh who was he kidding?

taerae hated the idea of y/n having to go, yeah they probably would be reunited in the next 10 hours, but they idea of the person he's been with for the past three months suddenly going off on his own gives so much more anxiety than he thought.

but at the same time, he feels horrible thinking like this.

what has y/n ever done but be selfless? even from the first moment they met, had y/n ever thought about himself? no, he hadn't. he thought about taerae and taerae only, he could've left taerae for dead at any moment, there were so many times where taerae felt— no, he knew that y/n was tired, so tired, but he still supported him.

he hates feeling like he's holding him back, like he's the reason y/n can't do more, like he's the reason he can't fulfill everything he's ever wanted.

"don't think so much" y/n walks up to taerae, placing his hands on his shoulder. he stares at him with so much love, that taerae almost considers crying, but he manages to stop himself from coming to tears. "i'm going to be okay, you know i can't be taken out that easily".

"don't jinx yourself" taerae barely manages to get it out, and he feels his voice break. y/n's face falls, and he caresses taerae's cheek, pressing a kiss onto his forehead.

"there's no need to worry about me, i'll be fine".

he had to confirm it twice, that meant he wasn't going to be fine.

and taerae was right, he wasn't.

he just wished he did more convincing and made y/n stay.

7 days after.

"i'm surprised how someone like you survived on their own".

"hao!"

taerae glances between the people, and he just gives an awkward smile. the smallest one of the group nudges zhang hao, who yelps, punching him in the waist. "don't be mean to taerae, he's obviously traumatized" matthew then turns to taerae, and smiles sympathetically.

taerae hates it.

"no i— i actually had a partner" taerae replies. at the words, both hanbin and matthew perk up. "it was a few months we were together before.. well— i don't know actually".

hanbin makes an 'o' shape with his mouth, his gaze quickly softening. hao narrows his eyes, and matthew is simply silent as he stares at taerae, who quickly zones out as he focuses on the mug in his hands. "we weren't informed you had a partner".

"well, he's dead" taerae states without thinking, his voice sounds dead, it's so empty that it's enough to startle hanbin. matthew opens his mouth, unsure at how to respond to such a stern statement. "sorry, was that rude in some way?"

"no no it wasn't rude!" hanbin says, waving his hands back and forth, he's waving them so much in fact, that hao has to put his hands down to stop him from moving so much. "we were just.. startled that's all".

"uh huh" taerae's face stays the same way it was before, and he plays with the spoon in his mug, not even bothering to take a sip of the now cooled tea. "so what? that's all you wanted to know?"

zhang hao opens his mouth, thinking of what he was going to say next, but then pausing to narrow his eyes and stare at taerae's shirt. there's a daisy pinned right to his shirt, just right out in the open, as if made to be obvious. "you like daisies?" he inquiries, looking up at taerae.

taerae doesn't even need to look down to realize what he's staring at, he just closes his eyes. "yeah" he responds flatly.

"my favorite flower".

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

Personal rant ahead✨

okay, so. I'm not sure anyone's reading, but I'm writing this. Maybe putting it in words will help, you know?

I've had a fucking terrible time lately, there's no denying it – I'm not even sure how long it went on. For sure, the last half a year–

Guys, I didn't think I'd survive it.

I'm not lying. God, I'm not lying.

Looking back, I'm not sure how I did survive it, but I did. Somehow. I just kept going. (Till Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; till Nona the Ninth translation; till Rise of Red; till The Umbrella Academy 4). I fucking kept going even though I was fucking exhausted.

I ended up in the emergency two times, with a panic attack that had me sure I was dying.

I ended up in the psychiatric emergency two times, too, when the emergency personel said taking me to the hospital wouldn't help.

I asked my roommate to send me photos of chemical reactions and formulas to the emergency psych ward. I broke down bad enough to end up there and it continued: two two Exams the next day, final labs and test the next, another exam three days after and two days after that and chemical engineering with about seven hours of prep time. I did these on sedatives that didn't even take away all of the anxiety.

On the weekend then, I crashed at my friend's, completely crashed. I was afraid to stay alone. I was so out of it I was sure i'd die if alone.

(If you're reading this, thank you. Really.)

This doesn't need to be coherent, right?

I've been struggling with food too. Namely, eating enough.

(I tell you, one of the days I ended in emergency: for breakfast, I got half of a pastry, some cottage cheese and handful of cherry tomatoes - that doesn't sound too bad, but it was only half because I was supposed to eat it for dinner the day before. For lunch, well, I decided I'd go swimming, physical activity is supposed to help, right, maybe I'd buy something at the pool? (Spoiler allert, I didn't). I bought one (1) slice of pizza at the subway when getting home from the psych clinic.)

Fun time, right?

With a track record like this, I've managed to lose five kg (about ten pounds?). Problem with this, of course, is that that was a tenth of my total weight.

I'm better now, almost back at my original weight, but sometimes, my brain still screams at me that the food is poisonous.

You know, I've got a pretty strong catalogue of venoms and poisons and alimentary ilnesses. The toxicology and microbiology courses didn't really help. God, I freaked out over soup one time, I was sure it was full of botulotoxin. (It was not. Botulotoxin is termolabile.) (I cried over this for hours anyway and I'm not sure I'll eat that soup again.)

But, you know. I'm trying.

I'm trying.

I got some meds, but - the first ones - it was bad. It was so bad. It was supposed to help, but first, it got worse. I could do nothing but cry for four days, I remember I felt nothing but terror.

It was only a bit better when I went to a summercamp as a councilor- nothing much to say about the camp. But, there was a storm, we were waiting it out outside under an altan with the girls who slept in tents - god, we were all scared. I kept telling fairytales for an hour and then more at curfew for the little ones, I almost lost my voice. (There was a boy with us, about fifteen, helping counsilor. He slowly inched closer as I was telling the fairytales, it was cute.)

Still, the girls were crying, I'm not surprised, the storm was bad, and then there was some scandal among the younger kids about some video, and more people cried. In the end, at least ten people cried. I didn't break down only because I took xanax in between.

I'm not sure if I want to say anything more; I've said enough already.

There's a new school year soon and I'm scared.

[hellomisst]

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Lucy Gray Testing Coryo After Leaving the Cabin

I watched TBOSAS this weekend and, yes, I have been planning to read the book. Actually, I am reading the book already.

But I really can't get it out of my mind. This "theory". Someone else might have already thought of it but...

Spoilers beyond this line.

It might be that Lucy Gray was testing Coryo when she left the cabin saying she'll get some katniss. She had been very suspicious when Coryo said he killed three people, when Lucy Gray only knows two. At that point, she already knows that he was lying... and she said that trust is important to her. When Coryo saw the guns while looking for fishing rods, he acted extremely creepily. I think it was at that point when Lucy Gray decided to run away.

But the thing is if she really wanted to run away, she had enough lead time for her not to be seen nor caught by Coryo even when he realized she was gone for too long and decided to go look for her. She even had time to set up a trap with the scarf and snake. When Coryo was shouting for her, she was there. The only time she realized that she really had to run away was when he started to have a meltdown and lose his mind/ sanity... or the last of his goodness.

I think what she was testing was his genuine goodness; if she can really trust him with her life or not. When Coryo decided to look for her, his initial thought and feeling was that she left him and betrayed him. He did not think that she might have been caught by the mayor or peacekeepers or just the government in general (if this was in the book, I'm not at that part yet). He did not think that she might have fallen into a trap or a hole or that she was caught by an animal. All he thought of was that he was found out and that Lucy Gray turned her back on him, when it was he who turned his back on her. I think that if he reacted differently, if he showed more concern about her wellbeing rather than his own, if he genuinely cared for her, Lucy Gray might have revealed herself saying that she had a hard time looking for a katniss that was ready to be picked and that he did not need to worry. And that her scarf had fallen when the rain swept it away and that they should look for it, but to be careful because there might be snakes somewhere.

But no. Coryo panicked and took a gun with him. He kept shouting accusations at her, kept revealing his own guilt, kept being aggressive. When he could not get an answer, when he realized he cannot own nor control her, he raged. He did say that they can talk about it, fix it, if he said or did something wrong; but his actions, tone, and gun showed the exact opposite: he was not going to trust her and that he might (will) kill her, Lucy Gray, the loose end he hoped to tame and control for the sake of love... but couldn't. All these and his raining of bullets showed Lucy Gray that she was mistaken in hoping that Coryo genuinely cared for her. All these showed that he was and will continue to be selfish and manipulative for his ambitions. The evidence was already there: Sejanus, his "brother", dead because of him and his ambitions to reign over Capitol and the whole of Panem. Which is why she ran and was (almost?) shot by Coryo. And why she sang The Hanging Tree to stir up the mockingjays and cover for her.

But then again, we really don't know what happened. The story was told in Coriolanus Snow's perspective, and for all we know, he might have been delirious that time. Maybe Lucy Gray Baird was already gone and it was some forest creature that he shot. Maybe he imagined The Hanging Tree. Maybe she was really shot but just got away and died on the way up north. Maybe she was really shot but was only grazed, so she still got away on time.

Either way, the ambiguity is amazing. There are tons of heroic tales, especially of women, that were erased from the records of history or were really not recorded for fear that they might inspire uprisings against the ruling class. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes portray this perfectly, and why and how it happens... and The Hunger Games trilogy show what happens long after history was tried to be remade, but then marks of the past remain to see the downfall of an abusive and oppressive power.

[captainremmington-13]

A Night on the Town

A Bellova x Coriolanus One-Shot

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own The Hunger Games franchise, the images above, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, or any of the characters in this fic other than Bellova and the made-up places I included. I also do not condone the beliefs or actions of Coriolanus or Bellova.

SUMMARY: After drinking more than they initially planned during a night out with friends, Bellova and Coriolanus exchange secrets and promises.

⚠️Warnings⚠️: swearing, alcohol consumption, mentions of violence and assault, Festus being creepy, slight angst

A/n: This takes place the school year before TBOSAS occurs, so during the equivalent of their junior year of high school. Also, I HIGHLY recommend you catch up on my series, A Lady Made of Snow, before reading this.

“I am so glad that’s over with,” Festus Creed grumbled.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Lysistrata Vickers said as the group of students exited Professor Demigloss’s classroom and started down the staircase to the dining hall. 

Persephone Price nodded in agreement. “I found it to be a pretty straightforward exam, all things considered.”

Festus snorted. “Maybe for you, but for me, it felt like reading another language.”

“I thought it was easy. You’re just an idiot, Festus,” Arachne Crane said smugly. 

Festus opened his mouth to argue, but shut it when he noticed Bellova Reginelle had joined their group.

“Is Festus complaining about the exam?” she asked, giving the boy a teasing smirk. Lysistrata nodded. “I’m starting to believe you’ll flunk Demigloss’s class, Creed.”

He scowled. “I won’t, I’ll pass with flying colors, you just wait and see.”

Bellova laughed. “Keep telling yourself that and maybe it will come true.”

Bellova, like most of the students in her class, had been worried about Demigloss’s exam for the past few days. She and her study group had studied vigorously, but the stress kept mounting. The tension had put her on edge, and she’d lost her temper while bickering with a certain blonde boy. 

Thankfully, the test was not nearly as difficult as she had expected it to be. She found that she had time to spare at the end of the period, which she spent passing notes back-and-forth with Persephone. They both agreed that their friend group should spent some time together outside of school to celebrate the completion of Demigloss’s exam. However, they weren’t sure what to do. They could visit someone’s penthouse or go shopping, but they’d done that several times already. Doing something new and exciting would give them all a chance to let loose a bit.

The group, consisting of Festus, the Ring twins, Arachne, Lysistrata, Persephone, Felix, and Bellova, sat at their usual lunch table. They were soon joined by Sejanus Plinth, to the chagrin of several people. Bellova ignored their silent attempts to shoo him away, and allowed Sejanus to sit next to her.

After chatting lightheartedly about some mundane gossip for awhile, Bellova cleared her throat, silencing the group.

“Persephone and I,” she began. “Were thinking that we should all go out tonight. But we weren’t sure what we should do.”

The group exchanged glances, waiting for someone to suggest something.

Finally, Sejanus spoke up.

“My Ma told me that there’s some kind of show happening at the Odysseus Theatre. You know, the one on Aleona Street? We could get dinner beforehand and go to that.”

Miraculously, the group seemed to like Sejanus’s idea. Festus added that it was an illusionist show reserved for the Capitol’s elite, and that unlimited drinks would be provided during the performance. 

Lysistrata frowned. “Festus, some of us have never had alcohol before. What if someone gets sick?”

He shrugged. “Then that’s their problem.” 

Bellova gave Festus a look. “Anyways,” she continued. “Are we all in favor of that plan?”

“Excuse me, what plan are you all forming without me?”

Bellova rolled her eyes when she heard the voice or Coriolanus Snow behind her. 

He took a seat next to Sejanus, and gestured for Bellova to speak.

She sighed. “If you must know, we are thinking of going out tonight to destress and have some fun. Sejanus suggested going out to dinner and then going to a show. I was about to ask how everyone felt about it before you so rudely interrupted me.”

Coriolanus scoffed. “You’re so sensitive.”

“You’re one to talk about sensitivity, Mr. I throw a tantrum when I don’t get a perfect grade.”

“Guys,” Sejanus said, preventing them from continuing to bicker. 

Bellova gave Coriolanus one last scathing look before turning to the rest of the group. “All in favor of the plan raise your hand.”

Everyone raised their hand, including Coriolanus. She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Bold of you to assume you’re invited.”

“Bellova, don’t be mean,” Persephone said, frowning. “Of course you can come, Coryo.” 

Coriolanus smiled charmingly. “Wonderful.”

Bellova glared at him, but didn’t object. “Fine. Let’s meet at The Ambience on Heirloom Avenue at five o’clock. And make sure to wear something nice, we are going to an exclusive event after all.”

Everyone nodded and went back to talking as normal, except for Bellova. She was watching Coriolanus carefully, observing the way his body had tensed when she mentioned dressing formally. 

‘How odd,’ she thought.

Little did she know that Coriolanus was internally panicking, wondering how the hell he was going to find something to wear that his classmates wouldn’t look down upon.

______________________________________________

“There she is! Oh, you look so gorgeous!” Diana Ring gushed, waving Bellova over.

Bellova smiled as she stepped out of her limousine, walking towards her friends who were standing outside of the restaurant. Sejanus greeted her with a warm hug, which Bellova generously accepted. She gave Lysistrata and Diana a friendly kiss on the cheek, and nodded politely at the others.

“Nice dress,” Arachne said, not even trying to hide her jealousy. She wore a dark green velvet dress, which Bellova thought was pretty but overall unimpressive, especially compared to her own outfit. 

The sheer, glimmering material of her form-fitting silver dress made her look like a diamond personified. Her matching heels wrapped around her ankles, the straps resembling silver snakes. On top of her dress was a white fur shawl, which protected her from the chill of the evening air. 

“Thank you, Arachne,” Bellova responded. “That shade of green really brings out your eyes.” 

Arachne grinned proudly at the compliment. Festus, who was standing next to her, was obviously fixated on the bare skin revealed by the shortness of her dress.

“Festus,” Bellova snapped. “Stop ogling or I’ll rip your eyes out.” 

The boy smirked. “Fine, fine. But it’s hard not to stare when you’re so…exposed.” 

Lysistrata smacked him on the arm. “Stop it, Felix! You’re embarrassing yourself.” 

“Damn right you are,” Bellova agreed, rolling her eyes. “Alright, are we ready to go in now?”

“We’re still missing Coriolanus,” Sejanus spoke up. 

She huffed impatiently. “If he doesn’t show up in the next thirty seconds, we’re ditching him.”

“You’re out of luck then, Bellova.”

Bellova scowled as she saw the Snow heir approach the group. “I was hoping you’d get hit by a car on your way here so we could all enjoy our evening.”

“Guys please,” Apollo Ring said hastily. “Let’s not argue now. We should head inside, our table is waiting for us.”

The group of students filed into The Ambience restaurant, chatting amongst each other as usual. Bellova linked arms with Persephone, complimenting her outfit. She had chosen a less flashy dress than Bellova’s, which made sense given her more reserved personality, but still looked gorgeous. 

They all took their seats around a circular table, which had been reserved by Felix’s father for the occasion. Unfortunately, Bellova ended up sitting between Arachne and Coriolanus. 

So much for a relaxing evening. 

She hoped that some alcohol would mellow the two out, but knowing them, it was safe to assume that wasn’t likely. But she had never been around them while they were intoxicated, so perhaps they were entirely different people while they were drunk.

As expected, waiters soon came to place small glasses of sparkling wine in front of each of them. Festus eagerly took a sip and immediately shuddered, making the group laugh.

“I suppose we’ll see how well Creed over here handles his wine,” Apollo joked. 

“I bet he’ll be a mess by the third refill,” Arachne added, smirking.

“I disagree,” Bellova chimes in. “He’ll be a mess by the second.” 

She saw Coriolanus grin at that, which gave her a strange sense of pride. 

Felix raised his glass, indicating that he was about to make a toast. “To us, for surviving Demigloss’s exam.”

The rest of them raised their drinks. “To us.”

A chorus of clinking glass followed, as well as the sound of many of them coughing as the liquid burned their throats. Bellova, who had become familiar with the drink recently, had no trouble downing half of it in one go. 

Coriolanus nudged her, making her cringe in surprise. “Someone’s been indulging themselves with alcohol recently, hm?”

She scoffed. “None of your business, Snow.”

“Easy there, I’m not judging you.”

“You judge me every fucking day, so forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

Coriolanus smirked. “Fair enough. But I feel like actually having some fun tonight, so I’ll try not to agitate you, regardless of how amusing I find your angry expressions to be.”

Bellova rolled her eyes. “How kind of you.”

“I know, my generosity is quite admirable.”

Bellova couldn’t help but laugh, making Coriolanus smile. She could tell it was a genuine one. He rarely gave those out, especially to her. 

She secretly hoped she could elicit a few more before the night came to an end.

______________________________________________

By the time the group left the restaurant, several of them were quite tipsy. Bellova, as well as Sejanus, Lysistrata, Persephone, and Coriolanus stayed unaffected, thanks to either their higher alcohol tolerance or their choice to only have a glass or two of wine. 

While waiting line to enter the Odysseus Theatre, Bellova listened to her friends chatter excitedly, speculating about who would be at the show. Apparently, there was some famous television star attending, but she wasn’t particularly interested in that. She decided to focus her attention towards Sejanus and Coriolanus, who were having a hushed conversation.

“What are you two conspiring about?” she asked, pulling a compact out of her purse to re-apply her lip gloss. 

“We’re just talking about Festus,” Sejanus murmured. 

Bellova looked over at the Creed heir, who was trying and failing to subtly steal glances at her.  She gave him a cold stare, making him turn away quickly. “What about him?”

“He’s being a creep,” Sejanus said. “Looking at you like that.”

“I know,” she agreed. “If he keeps it up, he’ll be dead by the time midnight rolls around.”

Sejanus sighed. “You should talk to him and get him to stop before it gets to that point.”

Bellova huffed. “Fine, but don’t make me do it alone. He gets angry when he doesn’t get his way. And I don’t want things to get physical.” 

Coriolanus laughed. “That’s a first.”

“Shut the fuck up, Snow.”

Sejanus ignored their exchange. “Coriolanus and I will be by your side to make sure Creed doesn’t try anything funny, okay?”

“Hey,” Coriolanus protested, pouting slightly. “Why am I getting dragged into this?”

Sejanus sighed. “I don’t want to see Bellova get harassed any more, and she wants some silent support while confronting him.”

The young Snow looked at Bellova, clearly annoyed. “Fine,” he relented after a moment.

“Thank you, boys,” Bellova said. “I appreciate it.

The group was allowed into the theatre without any trouble after showing a man their ID’s. Many of the Capitol’s richest were socializing loudly with one another, glasses of posca in hand. 

They made their way through the crowd, eventually finding their way to their reserved area. Felix’s father, being the president and all, had ensured they had the best view possible. 

“I want to sit next to Felix,” Arachne said obnoxiously, latching onto the arm of the president’s son. 

“Relax, Arachne, nobody is going to steal him from you,” Diana teased, sitting down next to her twin brother. Arachne gave her a look before taking a seat as well, still holding onto Felix’s arm.

Noticing Festus move to sit next to Bellova, Sejanus quickly took the seat before he could. Coriolanus followed suit, sitting on the other side of his rival. Scowling, Festus reluctantly chose the seat next to Sejanus, and began chatting with Apollo.

“Creed!” Bellova said sharply. He turned back around, his eyes going straight to her cleavage. She scowled, covering herself with her shawl. “If you keep eyeing me like I’m a piece of meat, I’ll ensure that you end up like one: cut into pieces and served on a pretty platter.”

Festus gulped. “U-Understood.” 

Bellova gave him a sickly sweet smile. “Lovely.”

She picked up the flute of posca set before her. After finishing the drink, she started to feel slightly warm, the effects of the alcohol beginning to set in. She folded her shawl on her lap, resting her hands on top of it.

Sejanus smiled at her. “You didn’t need our help after all.”

She shrugged. “It was nice to know that you two had my back. Or at least you did.”

Coriolanus frowned at her, setting down his empty glass. “Do you really think I’d let Creed assault someone and get away with it?”

She pursed her lips. “If it was me he was after, then maybe.”

He shook his head. “Bellova, I would never let harm come to one of my friends.”

“Hmm” was her only response. 

Loud music began to play over the speakers, causing the chatter around them to quiet down. The lights dimmed, and the stage was illuminated a moment later, revealing a group of performers with sequin-covered costumes. 

The illusionists were brilliant. They made white doves appear as if they vanished into thin air, and re-appear in a cloud of purple flame. The crowd was enthralled, gasping and applauding loudly. Avoxes walked through the room, keeping the guest’s glasses full of posca. 

After the third glass, Bellova was definitely intoxicated. She felt slightly dizzy, and was trying desperately not to say anything that would embarrass her later. 

While the performers were setting up their next elaborate trick, Bellova glanced at the two boys sitting next to her. Sejanus was in a dark blue suit that complimented his chocolate brown eyes. Coriolanus, on the other hand, wore a black long-sleeved dress shirt that he had rolled up to his elbows, paired with matching dress pants and black leather boots. There was a silver watch on his slender wrist that was engraved with the Snow family crest.

He looked like he was attending a funeral, but he looked as handsome as ever.

She giggled. “I’m in a Snow and Plinth sandwich.” Sejanus chuckled, making her eyes widen. “D-Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes, you did,” Coriolanus said, smirking. She sighed, rubbing her temples gently.

“I’ve got to stop drinking after this glass,” she murmured. “I’m going to keep saying stupid shit like that if I keep this up.” 

Two more refills later, Bellova and Coriolanus were completely, utterly drunk.

Bellova had no idea that Coriolanus was the slightly giggly, honest type of drunk. She expected him to be meaner while intoxicated, not more pleasant. He was more boyish and cheerful, and had an almost goofy smile on his face. 

Bellova looked at him, her eyes glassy and a bit unfocused. “What’s making you so happy?”

He shrugged. “Nothing. I just am.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Yes it does.”

“No it doesn’t!”

Coriolanus pouted, crossing his arms. “You’re so mean all the time. Why can’t you cut me some slack?”

Bellova smirked back. “I would if you weren’t such a cunt on a daily basis.”

“Watch your language, we’re in public.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

“Stop giving me attitude,” Coriolanus said, glaring at her.

“You’re one to talk about attitude, Coryo,” Bellova muttered.

He suddenly placed a hand on hers, making her shudder slightly. His hands were cold, which was fitting, given his last name. 

“What’s this for?” she asked, confused.

“You would be so much nicer looking if you weren’t always glaring. You have a pretty face, you shouldn’t waste it by scowling at me all the time.” 

Bellova was too intoxicated to stop herself from blushing slightly. “You think I’m pretty?”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s an objective fact that you’re gorgeous. Everyone with eyes thinks so. You should hear what the older boys at the Academy say about you.”

Bellova winced. “I don’t want to know. They’ve harassed me before, have I ever told you that?”

“No, you haven’t,” he said, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“Okay, well I don’t want to talk about it,” she snapped, suddenly feeling tense. 

“Why?”

“Because,” she said, biting her lip. “It’ll…make me upset.”

“Why?”

“Coriolanus, I had to stab three boys in the arm to escape being forcibly stripped,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears that she hastily wiped away. “That was why I almost got expelled last year. I would’ve been if the boys hadn’t been threatened to confess by my father.”

Coriolanus stared at her in silence for a moment.

“That’s awful,” he said quietly. “I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “It’s in the past now. Just…don’t mention it to anyone. I don’t want the drama to start up again.”

He nodded. “I won’t, I swear.” 

“Good,” she replied, giving him a small smile. She saw him yawn, covering his mouth with his hand. “Tired?”

Coriolanus nodded. “Exhausted. I was up late last night.”

“How come?”

“I couldn’t sleep. Nightmares.”

Bellova frowned. “What about?”

“My mother. And the night she died. You know I was supposed to have a little sister? She died minutes after being born.”

Bellova felt her heart tighten. Coriolanus’s baby blue eyes were watery, and he looked more vulnerable than she’d ever seen him. He was still holding onto her hand, his grasp tightening slightly. 

“I’m sure that your mother was a lovely woman,” she said softly. He nodded. 

“She was. I keep her old compact by my bedside when I need to calm my nerves. There’s still rose-scented powder in it, and it makes me feel as if she’s in the room with me.”

Bellova gave him a soft smile. “That’s sweet.”

“I suppose,” Coriolanus said, his eyelids beginning to droop slightly. To Bellova’s surprise, he let his head rest on her shoulder. His golden curls brushed against her bare skin, making a warm feeling bloom in her chest. 

Sejanus looked over at Bellova to see how she was doing, and his jaw fell open when he saw Coriolanus resting comfortably on his fiercest rival. 

‘What the hell is going on?’ Sejanus mouthed at her.

Bellova gave him a dazed smile. ‘No clue,’ she mouthed back.

She felt as if she’d fallen into an alternate reality. This felt so odd, having Coriolanus cuddled up at her side and holding her hand while half-asleep.

But she wasn’t complaining. Not in the slightest. 

______________________________________________

With a good amount of difficulty, Sejanus managed to convince Coriolanus and Bellova to accept his offer to call a cab to take them home. 

Both were almost unconscious, and had forgotten to call their drivers to ask them to pick them up. Sejanus knew they both needed to be at home in bed soon, or they’d regret it in the morning.

In the back of the cab, the two academic rivals sat on opposite sides of the back seat. Bellova assumed Coriolanus had finally fallen asleep, as his head was resting against the window. 

Her head was still swimming, the posca affecting her thoughts greatly. She had urges she’d never have while sober, such as the urge to run her hands through Coriolanus’s curls. They looked so soft, almost like a kitten’s fur. 

She turned away to look out the window, staring at the pristine Capitol buildings in the distance. One day, she’d have one all to herself.

“Bellova?”

Coriolanus’s raspy voice startled her out of her fantasies, making her sit up. “Yes?”

“Maybe…” he said slowly. “Maybe we should stop being mean to each other.”

Bellova sighed. “Maybe. But it’s part of our relationship. It’s fucked up, but that’s how it’s been for years.”

“I don’t always enjoy fighting. It’s stressful and frustrating,” Coriolanus said. “And it gets tiring.”

“What exactly is your point, Coryo?”

“Let’s make a pact,” he said, his glazed eyes looking into hers. “An agreement to stop arguing for no reason. Maybe we’d be happier if we work together instead of against each other.” 

Bellova hummed. She supposed he was right, bickering with him could get exhausting. It would be hard to stop trying to get under his skin on purpose, as it had become a habit. But was worth a try.

She extended her hand. “Okay. Let’s do it. No more pointless fighting.” 

He grasped her hand, giving it a firm shake. “Promise?”

“I promise.” 

When the cab driver reached Bellova’s estate, Coriolanus gave her a parting kiss on the hand, making her giggle loudly. She blew a kiss back to him before one of her guards escorted her through the gates, putting an official end to her night out. 

______________________________________________

The next morning, Bellova and Coriolanus both woke up in their own beds, their hangovers giving them splitting headaches. 

Coriolanus ended up vomiting in the bathroom, worrying Tigris immensely. He assured her he was fine, but she insisted on making him a cup of tea and coaxed him back into bed. 

Bellova was prepared for the hangover, and took some medicine she had in her bedside cabinet in order to quell the pounding in her head. It was the weekend, so she had no obligations. After her headache had lessened, she slipped back into sleep.

Neither of them realized they had blacked out the previous evening. They didn’t remember anything after having their fifth glasses of posca. 

Along with forgetting the deep conversation they had at the show, the promise they made to each other was forever lost in the recesses of their minds. They would continue to fight over the most mundane things, and do whatever they could to get a rise out of the other.

Until, of course, the conflict came to an end once and for all on that fateful October day.

✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊

TAGLIST: @daenerysqueenofhearts, @squidscottjeans, @euphemiaamillais, @gracieroxzy, @effectwalker, @mystargirl-interlude

Author’s Note: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comments! I really loved writing this one-shot, and I may write more for these characters in the future in order to expand upon their backstory. If you have any one-shot ideas, pls leave a comment below or send something to my inbox!

Also, let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!

[igotbloodonmyhands]

Alive / Part lll

Word count: 486

The next few weeks went by agonisingly slow. While the others were training, Soap had to stay in bed. Even if he were allowed to get out, he couldn't. The damage done to his brain impacted his balance, coordination and speech. He already dreaded the months, maybe even years of physical therapy needed.

The only good thing in this whole shit show was Ghost. He came every day around 1700 (5pm for the Americans). Soap tried to hide his excitement when he heard the heavy footsteps approach his door, but it worked poorly. He told himself it was just because he was glad about any distraction, even though his heart didn't beat so fast that the machine started beeping every time Gaz or Price came over.

The conversations with Ghost were nice. Other than the first time when he woke up, the lieutenant wasn't weirdly nervous. Since Soap didn't have much to tell other than that his nurse painted her nails blue, Ghost was usually the one to talk. He told him about training, mostly. How Gaz managed to land face first while fast roping, or how Price was heard screeching like an eagle when a mouse wormed its way into his rucksack. (He still denies it, claiming it was a bird). They talked about the most mundane and sometimes, quite frankly, most boring things. How yesterday in chow hall, they had chilli con carne but without chilli and without carne. But Soap is thankful for every minute he gets to spend with Ghost. Even if they run out of things to talk about, it is a comfortable silence. Ghost brings Soap books, and since his eyes and head start hurting after a while, he reads them to him. If only Soap could focus on the actual story and not how Ghosts lips move behind the mask, how his deep voice grows calm and soothing. He wished he could raise his hand and cup Ghosts jaw, gently tracing his bottom lip.

"Johnny? Y' listening?", Ghosts eyes looked up at him, deep brown, like the leaves on a chestnut tree in autumn. He was getting distracted again. "Er, ya, m' 'ere, lt", he stuttered. Ghost sighed. "Y' should sleep a bit." He looked at his watch. "''t's 1900 already (7pm). Don't wanna strain that fragile lil head 'f yours.", he grinned under the mask. Soap rolled his eyes playfully. "Ugh, fuck you, Ghost" "Later." He got up and placed the book (Ballad of songbirds and snakes) on the nightstand. "Y' need anything else?". Those damn eyes looked at him again. Soap wished he could live in them. "M' fine. See you 'morrow?" Ghost nodded, winking before closing the door behind him.

Soap sank back in the pillows with a groan. "Bithidh an bastard sin 'n a bhàs dhomh-sa". (That bastard is gonna be the death of me)

He couldn't wait to wait to see him again tomorrow.

[very-straight-blog]

Unpopular opinion (spoilers)

Well, I've read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and I really can't understand why everyone is so pissed off about Snow. First of all, let's be clear - we're not talking about Snow from the trilogy, but about Snow from this book, from the prequel. This boy hasn't killed Finnick, tortured Peeta, etc. yet. Before reading a book, I found various reviews and was expecting something like a story of becoming a villain, but instead I got the story of a boy trying to provide security for himself and his family. Since when did that become something bad? I got from the reviews that there are actually two things imputed to him - Sejanus's death and his relationship with Lucy Gray. Let's talk about it.   So, Sejanus. I don't understand at all why he's supposed to be a positive character. He's an infantile child who craves attention. Shortsighted, ungrateful and rather stupid. His father did everything to save him from the reaping and he can't show even the slightest gratitude? He and his potential wife and children will never have to participate in the Hunger Games, and he acts like his father is the worst person on the planet? Really? Next, there's a big difference between questioning the social system you're in, pondering ways to change the situation, and protesting openly on your own, obviously having no effect on anything. The second is stupid, and on top of that, you frame people close to you, your family and friends. We saw it when Snow was sent to the arena to save Sejanus. In fact, Coriolanus made his first murder because of Sejanus's stupidity. Sejanus doesn't understand that in a totalitarian state, the best thing you can do is to nurture your plans quietly, and he doesn't know how to control his emotions. After the arena story, he was even given a second chance, which he ignored and started helping the rebels. This guy chose to die from the beginning, it was his choice to take the risk, he should have understood the potential consequences of his decisions. The good old argument - "And why was Coriolanus allowed to escape" - well I don't even know, maybe Coriolanus wasn't rescuing captured rebels along the way? And yes - I'll remind you - Coriolanus and Sejanus were not friends, it was Sejanus who saw Snow as a friend, because no one else interacted with him. Why would Snow frame himself because of a man he essentially didn't care about? And yes - Snow was right - these men had no weapons, no money, not even a proper plan. This rebellion made no sense and was doomed beforehand.   Now, Lucy Gray. I think Coriolanus really was in love with her. I don't think it was a healthy feeling, but still. He defended her in the arena while endangering himself and essentially lost everything because of it. I really don't approve of the fact that he shot her at the end of the book - but for the world he lived in, his paranoia is logical (not to be confused with approving). I've seen people talking about choosing between love and power - but what kind of love are we talking about? A teenage passion that was born in extremely unhealthy circumstances? They spent a total of three days together, no more. It is normal to prefer the well-being of yourself and your family, comfort, security, stability and prospects to such "love". Also, I've seen many people having fun because of his behavior in the wildlife - but it's perfectly normal, isn't it? It's normal to be disgusted at the sight of worms, normal to realize that the idea of looking for some imaginary people in the woods is stupid, normal to realize that they will die here from any disease/cold/attack by wild animals. And what would they do out there alone, even if they managed to survive? These are all the adequate thoughts of a normal person.

  In conclusion, I will say that I still have a lot of thoughts about this book, here I have shared only the main ones. However, for me it was a book with the most obvious message I've read lately. Even if the author tried to show us the formation of a villain, she failed. The result is a book with a wonderful character, who is finally in no hurry to give up his life for the sake of a meaningless idea, but thinks first of all about himself and his family. Coriolanus's choices in the book are not easy, but logical, and I would like to see more such realistic characters in literature.

[wolfnesta]

I’ve sort of stopped posting rant peices because meh I feel like everything that’s needed to be said has been said but I just kind of caught myself analyzing SJM’s writing after my reread of the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and it led me to a comparison that somewhat allowed me to pin point why I just couldn’t really get into Feyre’s character. This is not anti Feyre before people get carried away but I do suggest you ignore this post if you’re a diehard fan even if it’s mostly an SJM critique.

For context during my first read of acotar I was a hardcore Hunger Games fan (the books because I loathe the movies). I’m talking obsessed since even before Mockingjay, the book, came out. And so Feyre somewhat gave me Katniss vibes with the whole bow and arrow/hunting theme but I say somewhat because the whole theme was ditched after the first few pages of acotar. Which isn’t a problem I mean they’re two different characters, two different stories, two different genres. (Note: absolutely no one can compare to Katniss. Additionally, Sarah can’t compare to Suzanne. But that’s just me) So the reason I still chose to do this comparison is because it sort of helped me understand why I could obsess over one character but reject the other when they hold similar traits. I think the best way I could describe it is from the beginning Suzanne Collins created a distinction between the protagonist and the situation which is so important because this allows the reader to understand details of characters surrounding Katniss and her demise while also understanding the responses she has to them as her own character. Maybe a bit confusing so let me give an example. It is explained why certain characters play a hand in Katniss’s demise like her mother, the tributes, her mentors etc very clearly, as in, we can grasp all the tragedies of their own while also understanding Katniss’s response to them separate than the readers eg. Katniss never being able to forgive her mother’s neglect at the same time that the reader understands the mother had untreated depression, the Careers trying to kill her with malicious intent but also understanding they’re basically puppets of the Capitol, Haymitch being a detoriating alcoholic she finds culpable for the lack of District winners but also knowing it’s his only way to cope with his ptsd. Anything about those characters after that is character development from what was already clearly established, more examples: the reveal of Finnick Odair’s promiscuity then learning he was being sold for sex, realizing Johanna’s lack of self preservation is because everyone she loved was murdered, and basically the whole entire book for President Snow’s character in The Balllad of Songbirds and Snakes which wasn’t even a redemption story it was just— 🤌

Whereas Sarah decides to bring up things at random when readers are suppose to have already made up their minds about Feyre’s demise. Cue in Tamlin going from having decent qualities to sudden complete douche, Nesta’s spiteful comments to suddenly she’ll save her, Lucien being a friend to suddenly he’s in debted to her, heck even —no especially Rhys’s ‘did bad things but turns out they were all for the greater good’ characterization throughout the books and everything he does is fine because of it. Because SJM uses Feyre as a way to make the readers believe how bad/good so and so is vs Suzanne who uses Katniss to provide to readers how Katniss believe’s so and so is. Then the way Sarah throws vague cryptic things to make characters seem traumatized which I’d go as far as to say is cringe borderline disrespectful the way they seem to be presented just for ‘aesthetic’ purposes instead of the very real things those topics entail (I’m looking at you Nesta’s SA plus others) but that’s another topic, I’m derailing.

Which is why I will definitely always say that from the very beginning of acotar the whole Elain and Nesta constituting Feyre’s wicked family trope fell extremely flat to me. Like I was completely unbothered— I couldn’t even bring myself to dislike them because it felt almost too obvious the way they were written plus the lack of explanation as to why?? There is this disconnection because sjm doesn’t clearly explain their behavior until way later which results in just a weird retcon type situation. Not only that but she goes on to build from it giving the sisters more importance in the series.

But whatever, that’s just my opinion. Which I’m sure has been said before in different terms.

Yet still I enjoyed Feyre book 1, although, as I made myself complete the series it seems by acosf she’s almost entirely different except for her self sacrificing qualities that tend to remain in all MC’s. I mean I really don’t think Feyre book 1 or maybe even book 2 would’ve let Rhys get away with that horrid pregnancy trope thing going on but 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m not the owner of any of these characters so. In the end she’s an okay character to me, she’s a determined, loving person, but I just wouldn’t consider her a fave of mine.

[morgana-ren]

Initially I had this idea hafter watching Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (loved it, I highly recomend it) but, since I see quite the parallels between Coriolanus Snow and Ascended Astarion, here goes nothing.

Imagine an Astarion who gas a bard Tav as punishment, not letting them make a single noise for days, maybe longer, as he says he'll "consider" returning their voice once he believes they'll behave.

-----

I haven't read it, admittedly, but I'll add it to the reading list! This isn't a sexy or a kink answer but I tried, but if it's not what you had in mind, please let me know and I'll redo it.

-

Cruelty. You could call it that.

He calls it an object lesson. A point that must be impressed because it isn't getting through.

That's the problem with a songstress. So many ridiculous ideals of love and the safety in it. The irritating idealization of it all in their songs that are woven from the thread of absurdity. A reminder of naivety; of innocence.

It's utterly insulting.

The caged bird sings endlessly of freedom. Always, always. Looking to the sky with longing. Flapping restless wings, perching high in their cage, surveying land through gilded bars and dreaming-- romanticizing.

The song might be beautiful. It might break a lesser man. It might touch the soul--

(--that no longer exists, yet even now, he can feel the motif sew into his skin and touch something that should be there; a ghost in his flesh that he can't scratch out. He hates that goddamned melody, he hates it-- it plucks, and it pulls like a bird gathers seed from the soil to sustain itself. She used to sing to him before he truly became him, and she uses it to drain his resolve even now--)

Love is beautiful, fragile, and fleeting-- like a hummingbird. Meant to roam and seek sustenance. Freedom. Choice. It is beauty and truth and irritation and futility and rejection--

He won't hear it.

(--Love is filth and blood and sacrifice. It is seven thousand souls in fire and his own in the palm of a devil's hand. It is anything to keep her safe. It is what must be done. She will hate him for the rest of her luxurious life with him--)

She begs him. Begs him listen. She looks at him with those watery, pathetic eyes, grasps him with delicate, calloused fingers and a voice raw and cracking.

He loves her.

She is foolish and naive with ideals. She doesn't understand. She doesn't understand what it is to be captive. To be abused. To be used. She sleeps on pillows of silk. He forces the finest meals down her throat. She will live and she will like it.

(--She will come around, surely. He did--)

She hums sometimes. He can hear it. She does it on purpose, he swears. He hears it in his meditation. He hears it as she is in the cold and dark of the cells miles away. That same melody she wrote for him after he first displayed weakness and confessed to her his reliance on her. She sang it to him by starlight and campfire, in the dirt, at his absolute lowest when he was weak, and foolish, and nothing. She sat with him beneath the sky and gave her own confession in song and looked at him as though he hung the moon--

It stitches a pattern into his skin. He hears it. He cannot pluck it free. Even as he is different now. He is stronger, and better, and faster. More powerful. He can protect her now, he can protect them both--

(--More deserving--)

He waits. He waits and he waits and he waits. He is eternal. Time is nothing to him. It is nothing to her either. His sweet songbird, she will see and she will understand the greater picture. She will thank him. What he has given her is a gift. It is a gift, it is a gift, it is a gift--

She bemoans this, but she will understand. One day, she will. She will, same as he did. She is foolish, and idealistic, and simple-- But she will.

(--I love you as you are. As you always have been. You are enough, and I will always love you--)

If he could feel, he is certain he would be irritated. Annoyed. What a foolish girl he has chosen. She sings her same tired song rather than embracing a new tune. A better one. One suited to who he is now. The better man.

He takes her instruments. He binds her hands. He isolates her so that her songs will never be heard until she sings what he wishes to hear. Until that fucking song dies, and he never hears it again. He never wants to hear it again.

He is the master. She will obey. And she will come back to him.

(--He hears it in his fucking mind. He cannot make it stop. It plays on repeat. Some vengeance from his old, weak mind playing tricks on him--)

She doesn't sing anymore. Eyes as pale and empty as the moon. She can sing. She can play. She can repeat on demand, like a parrot. He has heard these melodies before.

She asks him what he wants her to play.

[eye-candy-film-enjoyer]

My favorites of 2023

I wanted to make little wrap up of 2023, so here are my favorite movies and performances from 2023

Top Five Favorite movies

#5 The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snake - dir. Francis Lawrence

I am a YA/dystopian boy through and through. I thought this was a very faithful adaptation and very visually stunning. The performances were all great and I just really liked it. However, I had my problems with the book itself and I felt the movie didn't do a great job truly villainizing Snow (I found him too likable until like the end of the film) All in all though a fun watch.

#4 Saltburn- Dir. Emerald Fennell

If there's one thing I'm gonna do on this account, It's support a boy's wrongs. This movie has so many visual details and story details, it truly blows my mind. The soundtrack? Banger after banger. I'd never heard Murder on The Dance Floor before this movie but now I want to dance around a mansion to it. The cast? I mean just look at them. I do think occasionally this movie occasionally felt like it was just being shocking for shocking's sake and I got a little tired of it.

#3 Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse- Dir. Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, and Joaquim Dos Santos

I love art. There's no other way to say it. I am in love with creativity. The amount of details that are in this movie are so utterly mind blowing that every time I read about a new one, I feel like I have to rewatch this movie. The first Spider-verse film is an absolute masterpiece and this movie was not about to disappoint it. From the voice performances to the bleeding-water color, to animating on every other frame, this movie just had me floored. I hope it wins an Oscar for best animated feature or I'm throwing shit. I do want the second part before I fully judge the story but so far I think this is one of the best superhero stories in a while

#2 Barbie- Dir Greta Gerwig

I have never cried harder to a Nikki Minaj song. But actually, this movie made me fall in love with the simple act of being alive. It's a movie about a doll and yet its about enjoying life and growing up and how everything's so messy and it's so beautiful and we're so beautiful and I just. I get it. I get why Barbie wanted to be a human. We are all so fascinating. The ending montage alone is enough to make anyone with a heart cry. I hope that one day everyone is as in love with the world around them as this movie made me.

#1 Asteroid City- Dir. Wes Anderson

If you don't know the I'm Wes Anderson's number 1 fan, I'm doing something wrong. Truth be told, I didn't get this movie at first. I left the theater knowing that there was some deeper meaning but...what? So I thought about it for two weeks and then it hit me. There is no clear answer. There's no clear answer because the actors can't find a clear answer. There's no clear answer because the in-universe playwright didn't write one and maybe Anderson himself didn't write one. The movie has clear themes of grief and love and identity but at the end of the day what you choose to make of it is all up to you. There's also a lot to be said about how the play is existential and about uncertainty in the future and I think that's another reason I liked Asteroid City. I'm always so worried about the future. It terrifies me. But what can I do. And with that I once again realized that Wes Anderson was truly genius, and I don't think I'll ever see a film quite like Asteroid City again.

Favorite performances from each film

#5 Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird

I never got the hatred for Rachel Zegler. She was absolutely phenomenal in the 2021 West Side Story and she ate up Lucy Gray Baird. I just felt through the screen that Rachel understood her role so well. She played Lucy to all her vulnerability and strength and goddamn I am in love with her voice!! The old therebefore gave me absolute chills.

#4 Allison Oliver as Venetia Catton

being complete honest she's who I wanted to be in like middle school. Allison Oliver managed to play her as both such a free spirit and then to haunted on such the drop of the dime. From her subtle emotions to her snapping at Oliver in the bathtub she had me eating out of the palm of her hand. She would've loved Tumblr.

#3 Shameik Moore as Miles Morales

He had me laughing, crying, cheering and getting goosebumps the whole time. The absolute power Shameik Moore gives Miles is truly what tie the whole movie together. I feel like his performance often gets overshadowed for some of the bigger names in the cast and I truly find that shame. He gives Miles such a powerful and realistic portrayal that I admire it so deeply. From "Nah, I'mma do my own thing." to his conversations with Gwen to arguments with his parents, Shameik Moore makes Miles feel like a teenager who's trying to figure out who he is and a superhero saving a multiverse from collapsing

#2 Margot Robbie as Barbie

I'm fucking sick of only hearing Ryan Goslings name mentioned when we talk about the BARBIE movie! It is Margot's movie!! SHE ATE THAT SHIT UP!! She managed to so subtly bring in the changes of barbie being only a doll to being a real person. She provides so much of the movies comedy too. Her laying down crying had me wheezing not gonna lie. But she also shows us that how strong Barbie is and how she's so multi-faceted.She is truly someone little girls should see and be inspired by. Margot truly brought Barbie to life in all the ways that the audience and the script needed. She had me laughing, crying and smiling so goddamn wide the whole film. Here's to you, Margot.

#1 Jason Schwartzman as Augie Steenback/Jones Hall

It was the year of Schwartzman and nowhere was the proved more than in Asteroid City. Here we see, Jason Schwartzman playing and actor playing a single dad war photographer. Schwartzman manages to play all these layers so well, letting them blend together through on intense common factor: grief. Jones' grief bleeds into Augie in such a fascinating way that you might not even realize at first. It's so subtle and yet, it complete makes the performance. When we see Jones on his own a few times, though Jason Schwartzman manages to make him feel like a completely different man than Augie. The entire scene from Jones walking offstage to us being returned to 'Asteroid City' is truly some of my favorite acting of the year. Even through subtle expressions, we can truly see everything that Jones is experiencing. It's just such a sight to watch and it blows me away.

Some honorable film and performance mentions

Oppenheimer- Dir Christopher Nolan. Good film but a little too long if you ask me. Sorry!

Fav performance- Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer. She might not have been in a lot of the film but she stuck with me

Renfeild- Dir Chris McKay. Sorry I like fun camp! sue me!

Fav performance- Nic Cage as Dracula. I'm sorry Nic Cage is just so goddamn funny

Poison- Dir. Wes Anderson. Maybe the real snake was the Benedict Cumberbatch we met along the way.

Fav performance- Dev Patel as Woods. Wes please cast Dev Patel in a longer on of your films he ate this up.

Five Nights at Freddy's- Dir. Emma Tammi. I wanted to like it more but it felt like 3 different films until the last 20 minuets

fav performance- Matthew Lilard as William Afton. I want Stu Macher back after this.

The Swan- Dir. Wes Anderson. (Last time I mention Wes in this post I swear.) Hey Wesley! Quick question! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?? Thank youuuu!

Fav performance- Rupert Friend as Narrator/Peter Watson. Yeah he was the only guy speaking and he carried! The one moment where he breaks the stoic delivery and truly pleads for them to not kill the swan? Wow.

Gaurdians of The Galaxy Vol 3- Dir James Gunn. I have never cried over cgi this hard in my life!

Bradley Cooper as Rocket. Just hearing him scream sob almost had me open mouth sobbing in public.

Scream 6- Dir. Matt Bettinelli-olpin, Tyler Gillet. Starting to get real pissed at radiosilence.

fav performance- Jasmin Savoy-Brown as Mindy Meeks-Martin. She's so funny, I love her.

If y'all want I also have a favorite tv shows of 2023 post

[torturedcoveydepartment]

I think I’ve come up with a *chef kiss* plot for the hunger games ballad of songbirds and snakes follow up - focusing a lot more on Tigris story and Coriolanus development to further madness. Also. NOT PROOF READ

The story is set a few years after the 10th game (perhaps 12th, 13th, 14th - maybeee even 11th), so the environment has slightly changed. The tributes are kept in a building inside of a zoo, and they do get food to build strength because it’s needed to kill the others. Coryo still ‘loves’ Tigris, therefore he introduces stylist to prepare the tributes for the interviews.

The story includes a sweet girl from district 8 who gets reaped. While in the tribute display she gets to know a boy from a career district, 2 maybe? (since they tend to be more brutal lol) and they have this chemistry. Our fashion icon Tigris gets to design for 8, since after all their main focus is textiles - giving her a lot of space to play around with. The girl and Tigris talk a lot, and out of the two cousins - she’s the one with a heart. Developing a forbidden friendship. Further into the story she can’t bare the thought of the teenager dying, and if she can help one of them? why not - so she helps her escape. MADNESS LOL.

In the last couple scenes in the ballad of songbirds and snakes, you can see that the Snow family are now rich - therefore Tigris has bought her own atelier, hiding the girl in the basement (THE SAME AS THE REBELS IN MOCKINGJAY PT2)

Coriolanus obviously has his suspicions, but he would never think of his cousin as a traitor after all they’ve been through. Peacekeepers are being sent out to find the girl from 8, but the games are still happening. The boy from 2 wins with violence. This is where we get closer with coryo’s tendencies of manipulation, brainwashing him into believing the girl is the villain of the story - sending him out to hunt her down. Tigris has set up a surveillance camera inside the atelier, with the screen attached to a tiny screen at home in the apartment, which grandmam’ finds, shows Coriolanus who sends the boy from 2 who bursts into her studio. The girl still believes him to be good, because while at the tributes display they where a team, allies, lovers? He makes her believe he’ll get her out of panem - taking her away, but instead driving her off to the Capitol headquarters where she meets Coriolanus.

THIS IS WHERE IT COULD TAKE TWO PATHS and I haven’t figured it out yet.

1. Coryo makes him kill her, for him to prove his submission for the capitol. Maybe he promised him a better life in the capitol instead of a district. Like a decoy

2. Coriolanus cuts off her tongue and she becomes a avox. Avox are mentioned in the books sm more, but I don’t think they are ever introduced in the films? Basically a punishment, lowest class in panem, serving the capitol as slaves.

Coriolanus now despises Tigris after the ‘betrayal’, telling her she’s not pretty enough. She feels guilty about the girl’s fate and changes her appearance drastically - plastic surgery.

NOW CAST ME. 🤗 (I’m the district 8 girl yes)